I suspect that if you took your Honda to a proper dealership in someplace like Chicago they would be able to fix it in a heartbeat. Water leaks are not rocket science.

Meanwhile, has Subaru ever figured out how to fix the head gasket problem? The Internet is not conclusive.

I want a Subaru. I would definitely consider buying one but they make me nervous because I do not like things that break.

The six-cylinder Subarus do not have the head gasket problem. And they have a steel timing chain, not a belt.

Mine is the 3.0 liter six.

One thing my independent Subaru-only shop has said is that their lifetime transmission fluid isn't really good for the life of the car and they have put together a service task to change it. I think they are recommending every 100,000 miles or so.

I have been suspicious of CVTs forever. True, Subaru's first CVT in the Justy was a long time ago. But call me an old fud. Give me gears.

quote:

We are going to look into a newer RAV4 or Highlander hybrid.

Funny, my mom’s last car was a Rav/4 and my Dad’s a Highlander. My sister and niece inherited them. They were both nice and reliable.

I did just replace the radiator, radiator cap, and hoses in the Honda this past week.

88k miles and it needed a radiator. 21 years is a good enough reason for it to fail I guess. I do not believe my in-laws did any radiator flushes over that time.

I just learned that there is are special coolants made just for Japanese cars, and using regular coolant can mess up Japanese radiators.

I wonder what sort of coolant was in the old radiator.

It was the factory coolant. This car was bought new by my in-laws in 1999. It never had a radiator flush until I we noticed it was leaking last week.

Back to the CR-V...

A leak into the footwell is probably a leaking windshield seal. This is especially likely if the windshield was replaced several years ago.

There may also be something wonky with the drains for the fresh air intake below the windshield.


Does the car have a sunroof? We briefly had a Ford Five Hundred. The sunroof didn't have a seal per se, it had a gutter around the sunroof cutout and the drains were clogged, so when it rained, the water would start dripping off the headliner around the rear view mirror. While I was researching that, it seems that similar designs have tubes that run down the A-pillar and can become disconnected and leak into the footwell.


You can usually diagnose such leaks with a trickle of water from a garden hose... wet down a spot outside, then start looking and feeling for water inside.

Windshield has never been replaced. No sunroof.

I may try to diagnose it after we get it all cleaned up. Or I will just disclose it on the bill of sale, and take less money for it.

quote:

Originally posted by markj:
I read that it only affects units up to the 2005 model year.

Please don't take our saying goodbye to the CRV as a slam on the car. It was and will continue to be a decent car once it gets this issue fixed. I will take a hard look at the possibility of actually fixing it before I sell it but that is highly unlikely. It's worth taking $500 or more less for the car than I would otherwise. It can be fixed and this car will probably be on the road for another 20 years. I just don't want to deal with the age and lack of safety standards that have evolved significantly over the past 21 years.

My forester was a 2005

quote:

Originally posted by jon-nyc:

quote:

We are going to look into a newer RAV4 or Highlander hybrid.

Funny, my mom’s last car was a Rav/4 and my Dad’s a Highlander. My sister and niece inherited them. They were both nice and reliable.

Do you know what years? I'll be cherrypicking which years to look for.

quote:

Originally posted by piqué:

quote:

Originally posted by markj:
I read that it only affects units up to the 2005 model year.

Please don't take our saying goodbye to the CRV as a slam on the car. It was and will continue to be a decent car once it gets this issue fixed. I will take a hard look at the possibility of actually fixing it before I sell it but that is highly unlikely. It's worth taking $500 or more less for the car than I would otherwise. It can be fixed and this car will probably be on the road for another 20 years. I just don't want to deal with the age and lack of safety standards that have evolved significantly over the past 21 years.

My forester was a 2005

I was talking about the Honda CRV model years with the water leaking problem.

I think your Forester is safe.

I really like the size and shape of the Subaru line. Not too big, not too small, and room behind the backseat to haul a dog or two. There aren’t many little SUVS shaped like this and it’s one of the reasons why I keep my 20-year-old Toyota - it’s just the right size for what I do. Unfortunately it’s getting quite old and I’m not gonna be able to replace it. I need to find something more modern.

The Subaru might do it, if I get comfortable about the head gasket issue. I do like the a all wheel drive thing - Might be useful in snow country.

I removed the windshield cowl but ran out of light to inspect where the drain on each side might be clogged. Hoping that will prove to be the case. Looks like the roof rack mounting area is also an area to suspect.

I would love to find and fix this issue before I sell it.

quote:

I do like the a all wheel drive thing - Might be useful in snow country.

Oh, yes, indeed.